World War 1

• 20th century technology - huge advances in weaponry that rendered earlier ones obsolete e.g. cavalry, introduction of machine guns • Military officials were used to old style of warfare, lacked flexibility • No knockout blow – caused a stalemate

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Differences in WW1 to earlier wars 2

• Defensive tactics became superior to offensive causing trench warfare • Protracted warfare – reliance on constant supplies • Total war – industrial production and civilian morale • War of attrition; gradually wearing down the opposition to a point

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How many countries involved in ww1

• First war on a scale this large (32 countries) – able to dislocate international economy

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Reactions to the outbreak of war •

• Enthusiasm, excitement, sense of adventure • Hurry to enlist for fear of missing out • The attraction of a soldier as a well-paying job and chance to travel (Allies) Conscription in Russia and Germany

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The Schlieffen Plan

• Developed in 1905 • Based on pre-war European diplomacy, geography of Western Europe, railway communications and thinking of pre-war military leaders • Aim to avoid a war on two fronts simultaneously

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The Schliefen Plan 2

• Development of plan came from the possibility of German encirclement by the Allied forces • Relied on Russia’s slow mobilisation • Relied on massive movement of troops through flat terrain (Belgium and Netherlands) •

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The Schliefen Plan 3

• Pass through Belgium encircle and knockout France and then defeat Russia (believed to be the more difficult enemy) • Fateful decision to proceed through Belgium which brings Britain into the war • Knockout blow against France first

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The Schliefen Plan 4

• 6 German armies utilising the concentration of power • Aim to reach the French channel coast and encircle Paris (giant hammer swing, hinge) • Schlieffen believed that the German advance would be so rapid that objectives would be achieved before Fra

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The Schliefen Plan modification

• Moltke took over in 1906 • Decision to not move through the Netherlands so that trade between Germany and Netherlands could continue during war • Weakened the hammer swing to strengthen the hinge – more difficult for the Germans to reach Paris

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REASONS FOR STALEMATE ON THE WESTERN FRONT 1

Too much reliance on speed of movement and railways • The delays that occurred at Aachen and Liege allowed the Belgians and the French to mobilise and for the British to mobilise in Belgium • Did not expect the Russians to attack in under 8 week

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REASONS FOR STALEMATE ON THE WESTERN FRONT 2

Modifications to the Schlieffan plan proved fatal • Moltke diverted more troops away from the hammer swing to the hinge and sent troops to Antwerp – further weakening the thrust through Belgium • Belgian resistance was heavier than expected

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REASONS FOR STALEMATE ON THE WESTERN FRONT 3

6. Germany failed to knockout France and now faced a prolonged war • 3. The invasion of Belgium lead to the involvement of the British forces fought the Germans at Mons (Western Belgium, 23rd August) – Germans were defeated however advance was slowed

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Battle of the Marne

• 15 September • German advanced halted and Paris saved "miracle on the Marne"

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The race to the Sea

• September/November both sides attempted a series of outflanking movements • Aim to get around the back of the enemy’s forces and to gain control of channel ports • Trenches dug as each outflanking action failed – eventually line of trenches develop

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Tactical and strategic issues

Movement by rail - rapid Beyond rail lines, troop movement depended on horse or foot Nature of the modern battlefield made attack more likely to fail than originally believed Generals not prepared for a new type of warfare and were slow to adapt

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Nature of trench warfare

• Filth and degradation • Purpose to house men before knock-out blow was achieved • Stalemate caused permanency of trenches

• No man’s land could be anything between 50m to 10km wide • Going into no man’s land made you an easy target • Quagmire land – deep craters, artillery bombardment, mud and rain − Battle of Passchendaele fought under these conditions

• British move in straight line/wave formation − ‘Taking cover’ was discouraged – seen as cowardly → Attitude to the men in the battle Marc Ferro The Great War – ‘fed into the mincing machine’, ‘cannon fodder’

• Turned the tide of war in 1918 • Took several years for the tank to achieve its potential – slowly developed • General Douglas Haig had great doubts about it’s capability • Lord Kitchener described it as a pretty mechanical toy

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Types of tanks

• First tank (British mark 1) appeared early 1916 − Ineffective for 2 years − Too slow, 6km/h made the easy targets − Broke down frequently, not strig enough to go through mud

• German offensive • Falkenhayn’s strategy to wear down the French to point of exhaustion "bleed the French White" Falkenhayn

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Verdun 2

• im not to defeat but to annihilate France • 10 million shells on both sides • Germans fired 1 million shells in one day • Germany failed to take Verdun

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Verdun casualties

• 500 000 French 400 000 German casualties

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Somme 1

• BRITISH offensive • Both sides concentrating on battles on other fronts causing relative quiet on the front • Germans used time wisely to prepare – contributed to less overall German casualties (ground surveyed to give precise range)

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Somme 2

• Was a principle of German warfare to retake any lost ground immediately – quick counter attacks

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Somme 3

• British 60 000 casualties first day, 20 000 dead • British never reached the German wire • Haig considered it a victory because his original aims were fulfilled even though the battle was so disastrous

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The Passchendaele Campaign (3rd Battle of Ypres) 31 July - 7 November 1917

• BRITISH OFFENSIVE • Break the German line • Capture Ostend and Zeebrugge ports – German U-boat bases • Ports being used for unrestricted U-boat warfare which sunk ¼ of British supply ships – leaving Britain with only six weeks supply of food

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Passchendaele result

• 240 000 British 260 000 German casualties • British gained less than 8km land • Relieved pressure on the French • 88 divisions = third of the German army • 43 divisions = more than half of the British army

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Changing attitudes Britain early

Early response was overwhelmingly supportive • No conscription, conscription had never been used • Rush to enlist – desire to volunteer transcended class lines • Obedient response to propaganda

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Attitude Britina later

1916 enthusiasm had disappeared • Reality of the trenches had greatly changed the attitude of men at the front • War futility and slaughter affected troop morale • Turning point was extreme carnage at the Battle of the Somme

. Enormous scale of the war 2. Need to keep up armaments, reinforcements, supplies, and civilian morale – leading to war of attrition 3. Military forces aimed at civilian targets e.g. Attacks on British coast 4. Total war = complete use of resources

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Germany and Total War

• Had it from the start of the war • Germany’s allies needed much support from them. Therefore the blockade had a much greater impact and began to cripple Germany. − Whereas Britain had allies that were much stronger and did not require much support

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Financing the war Germany

• Germany only receiving 16% of the required 3 billion marks through taxation. • Minister of Finance (Helferich) ordered the production of more currency. His hope was that the enemy would pay the bill at the end of the war • Circulation of paper mon

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Britain and total war

• Slow to move to organization for total war, but they were quick to assume controls. • On 8 August 1914 the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was passed. • This suspended civil rights and put Britain under virtual martial law. • Police were given righ

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DORA

• During the war the DORA’S scope was gradually increased to encompass control over a wide range of activities • 1917 – kite fling became illegal. • DORA gave government power to requisition all forms of transport and could by goods at rock

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Control on food Britain

• British living standards did not drop like Germany’s, and for many nutrition and diet improved during the war due to direct government intervention, which maintained wage levels • Government aim was to keep workers happy, prevent strikes that would

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Britain munitions

• Spring of 1915, British government realised it was desperately short of artillery shells, highlighted by the difficulties the army faced at Neuve Chapene. • Britain producing 700 shells per day, compared to the 250,000 coming out of German factori

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Financing the war Britain

• Income tax rose to 150% in three successive budgets to reach a level of 30% of income by 1918.

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THE IMPACT OF THE WAR ON WOMEN’S LIVES AND EXPERIENCES IN BRITAIN

• In July 1914 there were 3.22 million women in the workforce; by January 1918 this number had increased to 4.8 million. • By July 1918, 80% of British munitions were being produced by female munitions workers- munitionette

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Female suffrage

• Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel Pankhurst, key figures in the Women’s social and Political Union (WSPU), encouraged men to enlist, demanded the harsh treatment of contentious objectors

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Card 2

Front

Differences in WW1 to earlier wars 2

Back

• Defensive tactics became superior to offensive causing trench warfare • Protracted warfare – reliance on constant supplies • Total war – industrial production and civilian morale • War of attrition; gradually wearing down the opposition to a point